Using Foucault's theory of disciplinary power to critically examine the construction of gender in secondary schools

Schools are typically thought of as important places for young people to learn specific academic skills. This review synthesises research from “western” English-speaking countries to argue that young people learn more than just academic skills at school. Specifically, the review explores how aspects of classroom teaching and culture contribute to how young people understand gender. Drawing on Foucault's theory of disciplinary power, practices within schools are deconstructed to show how they create certain gendered ways of being. The discourses of gender within schools are critiqued by highlighting how they limit diverse expressions of gender. Section 3 of the review draws on literature to highlight how dominant discourses and the practices that create them can be resisted creating the opportunity for other discourses of gender.